Monday, September 01, 2014

Kentucky (Week Two)

By Kentucky law, all children attending public school, must have a physical – by a Kentucky doctor.  That letter from your Texas doctor stating the children are in good health and have no limitations and their immunizations on letterhead from a physician in Texas – no good.  So I looked for a pediatrician.  I talked with three different practices, and I found a terrific Pedi!  I am excited about her!  She grew up in Indiana, went to Tennessee for residency and now, obviously, lives here.  I am finding that I really need to be around people that have left the state at least once in their lives.  It really brightens their horizons!  (Feel free to slap me for all the sarcasm.  I am dealing here people!) 

Anyway, back to the Pedi.  Love her!  She reminds me of Shasta (lack of last name to protect the innocent :)  ).  Same black hair, same small frame, same voice, same three children – 2 boys and a girl, ( a lot for KY!), same type A personality, same married to a more relaxed, laid back guy. Shasta, I found your identical twin sister in case you were looking.

Anyway, we spent a lot of time together over the next week and a half.  All six had to go to the Pedi and she spent at least an hour with each.  She was fantastic with them all!  Seriously – that is Bella holding the hand of a doctor.  Monumental people!  She is scared to death of all medical personnel – terrified!  I am so pleased with Dr. Agan!  She was just as great with Joy (who ran all over the office and escaped to the elevator bank) as she was with my teens.  She wasn’t afraid of Bella’s history.  And something I’m not used to (besides the amount of TIME she spent with us!) - She didn’t hand me a list of doctors, therapists, and DMEs. She wants to be personally involved with coordinating their care.  She understands that I fire doctors (meaning I’m super picky) and she’s fine with that.  She was awesome!

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So, to keep things fun and lively….during Joy and Bella’s checkup and before Dr Agan had even officially meet Alex, I had them schedule a little sick visit for Alex.  He had been sleeping or screaming for two days – official Mama is worried symptoms.  I was hoping for ears or sinuses, our usual culprits.  Hiding behind those is always the worry about shunt failure.  Dr Agan checked him out.  Ears perfect. Darn!  Sinuses look good.  Double Darn!  That means hospital and shunt series.  Dr. Agan called over to the hospital (we have a children’s satellite hospital ten minutes from our house and across the street from my Pedi!  Yes! No more driving to the Woodlands or downtown Houston!) and ordered a shunt series and CT.  It was 5 o’clock by this time.  She’ll need to bring him to the ER they said. No, doc replies, this Mama knows her stuff.  She can do it outpatient (Did I mention I love her? And she handled it! No hospital.  No contact your Neurosurgeon).  So we go over and have the shunt series (x-rays) done.  CT guy has already clocked out for the day.  A possible shunt failure?  He would be happy to clock back in.  Brother gets a CT.  (His fastest ever – they were so sweet to him!)  They all were so nice to me.  It’ll take 30 minutes to get this read.  Did I need anything?  Can they get me a blanket, some water? 30 minutes later, results are in.  Dr Agan calls me to tell me his shunt is functioning, no signs of shunt malfunction.  She reassures me that we did the right thing, never a hint of you are a paranoid Mama who just exposed your baby to unnecessary radiation.  We chalk it up to a virus and please keep me informed and head to the ER if you notice anything else that is worrying you. 

Sweet boy                                   Cutest little hospital

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So moral of the story…love this doctor and the people here are just so nice!  I told Jason we just might have to drink the kool-aid.  Seriously.  The Native Kentuckians are beyond nice.  So accommodating and nice.

Practicing outside – the weather has been so awesome!   Brother playing around the house.

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I texted Becca and told her she left me a devil cat – every time I try to read my scriptures, Jacquet comes and sits on my books!  This is from two different days – crazy cat!

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Cute papers coming home

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Getting ready in the morning – look who is eating!  Seriously eating, as in three meals a day.  Who is this girl?  If I could get her to drink, we would be g-tube free!  One very big bonus from totally changing her world – eating.  Who would have thought?

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Cute Brother started school.  His teachers came out to the house for a visit.  We talked about school and what did I want to focus on the most: verbal communication and toilet training.  No problem, happy to help. He is the most blind (how do you say that?), the kid with the least sight in his class?  They do an awesome job with him. There are four kids and two teachers. Love that!  I told them I would be happy to help out in anyway.  I have nothing to do all day now, with everyone in school all day.  I have a degree in Early Childhood Education, if I could do anything, I’d be happy to.  They had me fill out a background check.  Once that is back, I can sub when they need it!  So exciting!

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I was able to go to the temple on Thursday.  Just so grateful I can go and be there in that sacred place!

The Turpins came for Labor Day weekend!  It was so nice to see them!  They worked hard the whole time they were here.  They helped build beds, strip wallpaper, and generally helped us to move in!  It was so nice to be able to talk to people who knew where I was coming from.  I am adjusting to Kentucky, but to be able to talk and for them to understand my references to Texas was so nice!  We loved having them here!  We love them!

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Jason, the big girls, Gary and Sandi tried to go to a baseball game on Saturday but it was rained out.  So they went back on Monday (Labor Day).  They had a great time!

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Another thing I am so grateful for is the church!  The Relief Society President and one of her secretaries (big ward) came to visit me to get to know me and to help me with whatever I needed – like where do I go to get my driver's license and where is the library?  The Young Women President came over to talk to me and tell me about their program, what their emphasis was, who these women were that would be working with my girls.  She wanted to know about how they could help the girl’s transition.  So nice to have people come over who genuinely want to know you and how they can help you.  It’s a very big and active ward.  It’s nice to just show up and instantly I’m invited to field trips for the little ones, activities for my big ones, activities for our whole family.  It’s a part of the gospel I don’t think about often – the social part.  But it’s a blessing when you walk into a totally new place and need people and friends.  I’m grateful to be a member of a ward!

                                                      Cute girls playing

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